A number of automobiles are now equipped with a roof structure having removable inserts. These inserts may stand alone or be laterally disposed on each side of a central bar that extends generally from the front windshield to a rear roof portion. The roof bar is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the automobile such that the roof inserts are positioned bilaterally with respect to the central roof bar. These arrangements are typically referred to as "t-top roofs" and they have become a popular feature of many automobiles, particularly sports models.
Motor vehicle roof inserts are locked into position in the roof by locking means which typically includes a pair of retractable rods or pins that are received by closing fitting bores in the roof structure. These pins may be retraced to move the inserts from the roof structure at those times during which the vehicle occupant desires to convert the vehicle to the open-air mode of operation. Thus, this configuration allows drivers to enjoy many attributes of convertible top vehicles in a manner quite distinct from conventional roll-back convertible top automobiles.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, a number of problems which have not yet been solved in the industry are associated with the storage of motor vehicle roof inserts. More specifically, since the roof inserts are visible when installed, their aesthetic appearance is important to the overall appearance of the motor vehicle. Therefore, great care must be taken during the removal and storage of the inserts to ensure that they are not marred or otherwise disfigured. In addition, due to unpredictable changes in weather conditions, it is necessary to transport the inserts in the motor vehicle so that they may be reinstalled in the event of sudden adverse conditions such as rain or snow. This need for immediate access to the inserts dictates that a practical storage apparatus must not only be conveniently located in the motor vehicle, but must also enable the driver to quickly remove the inserts from the storage device.
In addition, it is known that on occasion the left of roof inserts from a motor vehicle occurs. In order to deter theft of the inserts from their installed position in the roof, most roof inserts are now provided with key-actuated locks by which a key is needed in order to retract the aforementioned pins when they are locked, thereby allowing removal of the roof inserts. Since it is also known that the unauthorized removal of article within motor vehicles often occurs, it would be desirable to provide a roof insert storage device that would accommodate the key lock feature of most inserts such that the inserts could be locked into the storage device as a theft deterrent measure.
In addition, as is well known by original equipment manufacturers, a significant goal in motor vehicle manufacture is the minimization of total vehicle weight. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a roof insert storage device which is extremely lightweight. It would also be desirable to provide such a storage device in a manner in which the body of the storage device could be manufactured by injection molding or the like. The present invention provides a storage device for roof inserts which achieves all of these desirable goals.